Editor’s Note: Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) has moved online and Baselworld 2020 is canceled, but that hasn’t stopped watch brands large and small from debuting their new wares. Stay on top of this year’s best new watch releases here.
German watchmaker Sinn’s U1 is known world-over by watch enthusiasts as the choice of professionals. While the Submariner is ubiquitous and the Seamaster is famous for its association with a certain English spy, Sinn’s watches are worn by astronauts, special police forces and military personnel.
2005’s U1 was a revelation, with 1,000m of water resistance, an incredibly legible dial, scratch-resistant “Tegiment” technology, and one helluva badass look. It was also 44mm wide.
Now, in an effort to bring the U1’s appeal to the moderately-wristed among us, Sinn has released the U50 line — an updated take on the U1 in much more wearable 41mm cases. Available in three versions (the U50, the U50S and the U50SDR), the U50 features almost all of the U1’s utilitarian specs: seawater-resistant submarine steel, ratcheting unidirectional dive bezel, sapphire crystal, 4 o’clock crown. It’s only water resistant to 500m, but that should be plenty for just about any human.
Featuring the automatic SW300-1 movement, the U50 is available with a steel bezel and choice of various straps or a bracelet; a black-coated bezel (U50 SDR) with a strap or bracelet; or with a hard black coating (U50S) and your choice of matching bracelet or strap. Price range from $2,180 to $2,940 depending on the model and strap selection, and ordering is open immediately with delivery beginning in June.
